NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino has taken over as chair of the Ad Council’s board of directors, succeeding David Fischer, chief revenue officer at Facebook.

In her role, Yaccarino, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, will work with Ad Council leaders and the executive committee to further the organization’s mission to address the critical social issues in the United States, including leading support for the Ad Council’s national COVID-19 vaccine education effort.

Yaccarino will also advise on business matters and chair the organizations’ largest annual fundraising event, the Public Service Award Dinner. She will serve as chair until June 30, 2022.

Facebook’s Fischer has held the position since July 2019, when he took over from Linda Boff, chief marketing officer at General Electric. Yaccarino’s path to the chair has been planned since Fischer’s appointment.

Yaccarino first joined the Ad Council board of directors in 2014, the executive committee in 2015, and until this new appointment, previously served as vice chair. She also currently co-chairs the Ad Council’s crisis and response and recovery effort alongside Fischer.  

With Yaccarino on the executive committee, NBCUniversal has donated a significant amount of media to support Ad Council campaigns, according to the Ad Council. The network has used its Content Innovation Agency to create campaigns around drunk-driving prevention, LGBT acceptance and COVID-19 awareness, such as public service announcements featuring celebrities like Kelly Clarkson and Terry Crews, who educated viewers on how to limit the spread of the pandemic.

“Linda is a visionary leader in our industry, and in her many years on our Board, she has been a true champion of the Ad Council and our work on the most important social issues facing our country,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council, in a statement. “Under Linda’s leadership, NBCUniversal was an invaluable partner on our COVID-19 response efforts earlier this year—acting with incredible speed to develop and place exceptional creative within days of the pandemic being declared in March.”

As chairman of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino has been responsible for managing $10 billion in annual revenue and leads the network's distribution partnerships and client relationships across linear networks and digital platforms. She is also chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on Future of Works, sits on Ascena Retail Group’s board of directors and is a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

After Yaccarino’s term, she will be succeeded by Jacki Kelley, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network, Americas. The Ad Council rotates board chairs among media companies, technology platforms, agencies and advertisers.

“There are almost no words to express how proud I am to serve as Chair, working alongside the extraordinary Lisa Sherman. I'm so grateful to my predecessor and friend David Fischer, who has taken great care to prepare me for this role and to see his visionary leadership firsthand,” said Yaccarino in a statement. “The Ad Council shows us what's possible when we combine the power of responsibility, creativity, credibility, and care for people. It's an honor to join them in this new capacity.”